The Catalans who oppose a split from Spain

Barcelona, Spain (CNN)The Catalan government says 90% of voters in the banned independence referendum chose to split from Spain. In the aftermath of the vote, 700,000 people demonstrated against police violence on referendum day. The region is awash in displays of the Catalan flag.

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has suggested that Catalans are more united than ever, but behind the pictures and the numbers, there is a more nuanced story. The referendum has not only exposed the divisions between Catalonia and Spain, but those within Catalonia itself.
Turnout was only about 43%, meaning that fewer than half of the roughly 5 million Catalans on the electoral roll chose to split from Spain. A few hundred Catalans joined a small rally in Barcelona on Wednesday night to voice their opposition to the separatist movement. Another demonstration is planned for the weekend.
People who attended this week’s demonstration told CNN they feared the crisis would result in violence on the streets — and that some who oppose independence are afraid to speak out.